Israel: Three NGOs call for more democracy in disputed territories

Protest at the entrance to Huwara against Israeli settler violence, March 3, 2023 (Illustration image). AFP - JAAFAR ASHTIYEH

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It was under the aegis of Israeli President Isaac Herzog that negotiations between political parties around judicial reform began on Tuesday evening, March 28. But for Palestinian and Israeli anti-occupation organizations, the democratic nature of the Israeli regime also depends on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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After weeks of popular mobilization and the ouster of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday, March 28, the suspension of his controversial project.

► READ ALSO: Reform of justice in Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu announces a "pause"

For opponents of this judicial reform, it is the separation of powers and therefore the future of Israeli democracy that is at stake. But for Palestinian and Israeli anti-occupation organizations, the democratic nature of the Israeli regime does not depend solely on this reform project. It also requires a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A far-right finance minister

They represent three Palestinian rights organizations, one Israeli and two Palestinian. They came to France to discuss with political leaders developments on the ground. The Yesh Din organization wants to warn about the powers granted to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, one of the leaders of the extreme right, regarding disputed territories.

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Virtually all powers regarding civilian life in the West Bank have been vested in a civilian Israeli minister who will act solely in Israel's interests and who will not take into account the rights and needs of Palestinians at all, said Chanah Dulin, Yesh Din's director of international relations. His aspirations to legalize all wild settlements and expand others are very clear. And he received a very substantial budget to implement his plans.

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One system for Israelis, another for Palestinians

In international law, however, these prerogatives are those of the occupying army. The transfer to a civilian authority therefore constitutes, for Yesh Din, a de facto annexation of the West Bank. It confirms the existence of a dual system: one for the Palestinians, one for the Israelis. A duality that defines the nature of the Israeli regime, writes Rami Saleh, director of the Palestinian organization Jerusalem Legal Aid Center:

« We know that it is not a democratic state. It is an illusion that the Israelis want to pass on to the Europeans and Americans, but it is not a democracy. It is a real apartheid state, and apartheid is contrary to democracy. » 

Strongly opposed by Israel, this term of apartheid is now taken up by a number of international organizations. And for this delegation, the policies of the Netanyahu government serve to highlight the inequalities of treatment between Israelis and Palestinians.

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Read on on the same topics:

  • Israel
  • Palestinian Territories
  • Israeli-Palestinian conflict
  • Disputed territories
  • Isaac Herzog
  • Benjamin Netanyahu